Membrane sustained roof structure



April 2, 1963 R. B. BROUT MEMBRANE SUSTAINED ROOF STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 21, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 2, 1963 R. B. BROUT MEMBRANE SUSTAINED ROOF STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 21 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 2, 1963 R. B. BROUT 3,083,793

MEMBRANE SUSTAINED ROOF STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 21, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 3 a; W W N 19236 765 0 7-" 0 6 e r? fiezdz'cz" JZrazz Z,

rates This invention relates to building construction and more particularly to an improved type of roof and roof truss structure.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a generally horizontally extending component of a building structure, e.g., "a roof, which comprises a rigid peripheral bounding means to which a stress transmitting membrane constituting a roof surface is attached to cover the area enclosed by said rigid bounding means and also to which bounding means a truss system is attached which is below, parallel and coextensive with the membrane and which is attached to the membrane at a plurality of regularly spaced points to combine with the membrane as the top chord component of said truss structure to transmit all stresses imposed on said membrane and truss structure to the said rigid bounding means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a roof truss structure composed of a minimum number of different modular elements and interconnecting means therefor and which acts to transmit the stresses of an outer skin or membrane secured thereto to a rigid, peripheral bounding means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a roof membrane supporting truss means which is coextensive with the membrane and is effective to transmit the stresses of the roof forming membrane element in all directions and which truss means is composed of modular elements which are adapted to be readily assembled and are of such simple character as not to require a high degree of skill to be combined into the roof supporting truss structure.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such additional objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts described, by Way of example, in the following specification of certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of said specification and in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one each of the principal modular elements from which the supporting truss structure of the present invention is formed,

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the lower side of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the component parts of the assembly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,

FIG. 4 is an exploded view, partly in section, showing one mode of attaching the membrane to the roof structure,

FIG. 5 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary medial sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1 showing the nature of a preferred form of interconnecting means between arm portions of the different modular components,

FIG. 6 is a View similar to PEG. 5 but showing the relation of the parts prior to the completion of the joint between them,

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a portion :of a roof embodying the present invention, a portion of the outer skin or membrane which forms the roof surface being broken away to show the truss structure to which it is attached,

MG. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 88 of FIG. 7,

FIGS. 9 and 10 are enlarged scale, fragmentary, secice 2 tional views taken, respectively, on the lines 9-9 and lit-19 of FIG. 7,

FIG. 11 is a further enlarged, medially longitudinal fragmentary view taken on the line ill-11 of FIG. 7 showing a representative means for interconnecting the base components of the structure,

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 4 except showing the parts assembled and illustrating another mode of securing the roof membrane component to the truss structure, and

FIG. 13 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the roof forming membrane taken on the line 13-43 of FIG. 7.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the principal modular components are the base component 1 and the tripod component 2. Each component is preferably for-med of lengths of tubular material welded to gether.

Each base component comprises a hexagonal, fiat, ring portion formed of members 3 joined at corners designated alternately as 4 and 4' and having outwardly projecting arms 5 of half of the length of the members 3 projecting radially in the plane of the ring from the center of the ring at each corner thereof. Also, at the corners 4, the component includes upwardly converging arm portions 6 adapted to mate with the downwardly diverging arm portions 7 of the tripod component 2, the upper ends of the tubes comprising the arm portions 7 being welded to a cylindrical plug 8 having a bore 9 extending therethrough in a line centrally of the arm portion 7 and the outer end of said bore preferably being threaded. Each of said corners 4' further includes a pair of diagonally outwardly and upwardly diverging \arm portions 10, 10 which combine with the arm portion 7 which rises from the same corner to form, in efiect an inverted tripod which, except for the plug portion previously referred to, is of the same general dimensions as the tripod 2. The upper ends of the numbers 10, It all terminate in the same plane as the upper ends of the arm portions '7. The function of these pairs of arm portions 19, 19 will be discussed in connection with the description of the erection of a roof supporting truss structure from these two modular components and their connecting means.

' Adjacent each tree end of each tripod arm portion 7 it is provided with aligned transverse holes '11. Each arm portion 6 inwardly from the upper or free end thereof is provided with a transversely extending bolt or rivet 12 and outwardly therefrom with a pair of aligned transversely extending holes 13. The illustrated connecting means for the adjacent ends of each pair of arm portions 6 and 7 comprises a collar 14 having a counterbore 15 on one side thereof in which the end of a depending arm portion 7 is inserted and secured by a set screw 16; the collar having an axial bore which is substantially the same diameter and is in substantial alignment with the inside of the tube on which it is mounted. The body of the collar 14 beyond the end of the arm portion '7 is provided with a set screw 17 which initially holds a loosely fitting dowel pin 18 moved upwardly into the arm portion 7. When the tripod 2 is set on the arm portion 6, the set screws 17 in the collars 14 are loosened and the loosely fitting dowel pins 18 drop down until they engage the rivets 12 after which, the dowel pin is drilled through at the holes 11 and 13 and rivets 19 and 2!) are secured therein to hold the dowel pin in place. Alternatively, the pin 18 can be welded to the arm portions.

Where it is desired to accommodate a curved or domed configuration in the roof, the tripod element can be appropriately tipped or canted relative to the base component 1 by the use of collars 14 of different lengths on the various arm portions thereof. Such changes in spacing are slight for any one tripod component and can be accommodated by appropriately springing the various arm portions of the components slightly to effect alignment thereof.

Referring to FIGS.'7' and 8, there is illustrated a rep resentative installation of a truss and membrane roof structure embodying the invention. In that embodiment, a channel member 23 is positioned on the top of a wall W with the channel thereof facing inwardly, one side edge 24 resting on the Wall and. the other side edge 24' thereof, having the perimeter of the sheet metal roof membrane 25 attached thereto in any suitable manner tasty rivets 26. The channel member extends, of course, around the entire peripheral. edge of the. roof membrane. While in the illustrated embodiment a sheet metal membrane is shown, any comparable material capable of serving as the roof surface and having sufficient strength to transmit the tension and compression forces imposed thereon as the top chord component of" the truss system may be used.

At spaced points along the inner surface of the web portion of the channel member 23, it is providedwith inwardly extending bracket members 27 on which the sides 3- or other adjacent portions of those of the base components 1 which come in contact with the channel member are supported; said side members or other parts of the base components being secured to the channel member 23 and to the brackets 27 many suit-able manner as, for example, by welding 28. This roof membrane is, of course, formed of separated sheets which are joined by buttwelding the edges as at 29 to form a unitary. component capable of transmitting stresses in all directions in the plane in which it lies. It will be noted that for those base components which rest on the brackets 27, the portions which project outwardly beyond. the bracket engaging portion thereof are dispensed with. Rather than, make up special base components for such usage, as a rule, it will be found more practical to make all base components alike and to alter the few that occupy the edge of the truss construction by removing the interfering portions thereof as an incident of the erecting operation.

The truss structure unit comprisingthe base and tripod components 1 and 2 is first erected on :a scaffold orstaging structure holding them in position. Each base component is connected by the sleeves 21 and rivets 22 with. the surrounding base components and each side of each base component combines with the sides of adjacent components to form horizontally disposedrhexagonal, fiatrings composed of three side members 3 ofv three, base components, generally designated as being av first series of polygonsor hexagons, arranged, alternately with three.

members, other tripod components 2 are mounted on the.

converging arm portions thereof thus further interconmeeting the base components.

When at least some of the base components and tripod components are thus assembled over a suflicient area, the

, attachment of the roof membrane 25 can proceed. After being attached to the peripheral channel. member 23, and laying on the ends of the plug portions 8 of the tripod components 2, the roof membrance can be drilled, through the holes 9 of the tripod components and then; can be redrilled from the upper surface thereof to accom modate the body of the screw 30 which threadedlyem gages the hole 9 :andwhichwith a washer 31 secures the membrane to the ends of the tripod. Alternatively, instead ofthreadedly engaging the plug 8, the hole 9 can be formed without threads and a bolt 30a'with the washer 31 can be secured by :a nut 30!) on the lower face of the plug 8. as shown in FIG. 12. Under those conditions, it would be unnecessary to redrill the'memhrane from the upper side of the membrane to accommodate the body of the screw.

The material (sheet metal) forming the roof membrane is corrugated to provide stiffness and which at the same time is complementary to the pattern of the attachment thereof to the apices of the tripod components 2. To this end, the material is provided in strips having a repeating pattern of such character that the side edges of the strips can be matched for butt welding together with maintenance of the pattern. Since any pattern which will thus provide stiffness in the roof membrane may be employed, the illustrated pattern is to be regarded as an example only and not as the only pattern-Which might be used. The illustrated pattern comprises first, a series of flat circular lands 32 adapted to rest on the ends of the tripod components 2 for securing thereto. The corrugations comprise a first series of upwardly embossed ridges 33 each extending between adjacent ones of the lands 32 and each of said ridges increasing slightly in width and height from the ends to the mid-length thereof. It will be noted in FIG. 7 that these ridges define triangular areas and disposed within each of these triangular areas is one ofa second seriesof upwardly embossed corrugations 3 4 grouped to form a narrow armed, three pointed star disposed with the arms thereof pointing toward the centers of the angles of the said triangular areas defined by the first series of ridges.

When the roof structure has been completely installed and all portions of the truss structure have been connected and the membrane completely connected to all of the tripod components, the supporting scaffolding or staging can be removed and thereafter the stresses imposed on the membrane 25 between its various points of attachrnent around its perimeter and to the ends of. the tripod components will be distributed throughout the entire truss and structure and accumulated in the bounding means to hold the entire roof ina position in which it was erected.

While in the foregoing specification there has. been described a presently preferred embodiment of'the inven-. tion together with certain suggested variations thereof, it

will be appreciated that such disclosure isby way of example only and that in the light of'such disclosure, changes and modifications in the and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, may suggest themselves to others skilled in the art. For example, while a hexagonal pattern of truss is shown, it will be obvious that any other regular polygon may be employed, if desired. Accordingly, it will be understood that the invention is not be be deemed to be l'mJi-ted to the form thereof thus disclosed by way of. example, and it will be understood that the invention includes as well all such changes in the parts and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall come withinthe purview of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. In a roof membrane sustained roof structure, a unitary rigidmembranecapable of resisting both tension and compression forces in all directions in the plane in which said membrane lies constituting the roof surface and a co-extensive, underlying truss system connected to said membrane at spaced points throughout the area thereof; said membrane, by reasonof said connection, additionally serving as the top chord component of said truss system; said truss system comprising a plurality of rigid members connected together to form a plurality of hexagons disposed in a plane generally parallel to and' at a predetermined distance below the plane of said membrane' and each of said hexagons having a series of three rigid members similarly, convergingly rising from alternate corners thereof and terminating in an apical point all of said apical points being secured to said membrane in, a uniformly spaced pattern.

2. In a roof membrane sustained roof'structure, a unitary rigid membrane capable of resisting both tension and compression forces in all directions in the plane in which said membrane lies constituting the roof surface, a co-extensive, underlying truss system connected to said membrane at spaced points throughout the area thereof; said membrane, by reason of said connection, additionally serving as the top chord component of said truss system; said truss system comprising a plurality of rigid members connected together to form a plurality of hexagons disposed in a plane generally parallel to and at a predetermined distance below the plane of said membrane and each of said hexagons having a series of three rigid mem bers similarly, convergingly rising from alternate corners thereof and terminating in an apical point all of said apical points being secured to said membrane in a uniformly spaced pattern, and a rigid peripheral element to which the periphery of said membrane and the portions of said hexagon forming rigid members constituting the periphery of said truss system are attached in said parallel spaced relation.

3. In a roof membrane sustained roof structure, a unitary sheet metal membrane constituting the roof surface and a co-extensive, underlying truss system connected to said membrane at spaced points throughout the area thereof; said membrane, by reason of said connection, additionally serving as the top chord component of said truss system; said truss system comprising a plurality of rigid members connected together to form a plurality of hexagons disposed in a plane generally parallel to and at a predetermined distance below the plane of said membrane and each of said hexagons having a series of three rigid members similarly, convergingly rising from alternate corners thereof and terminating in an apical point all of said apical points being secured to said membrane in a uniformly spaced pattern; said membrane having a first series of corrugations extending between the points of attachment of said membrane to said apical points of said truss system and a second series of corrugations extending at intersecting angles relative to laterally adjacent ones of said first corrugations and contained within areas bounded by adjacent ones of said first series of corrugations.

4. In a roof membrane sustained roof structure, a unitary sheet metal membrane constituting the roof surface, a co-extensive, underlying truss system connected to said membrane at spaced points throughout the area thereof; said membrane, by reason of said connection, additionally serving as the top chord component of said truss system; said truss system comprising a plurality of rigid members connected together to form a plurality of hexagons disposed in a plane generally parallel to and at a predetermined distance below the plane of said membrane and each of said hexagons having a series of three rigid members similarly, convergingly rising from alternate corners thereof and terminating in an apical point all of said apical points being secured to said membrane in a uniformly spaced pattern, and a rigid peripheral element to which the periphery of said membrane and the portions of said hexagon forming rigid members constituting the periphery of said truss system are attached in said parallel spaced relation; said membrane having a first series of corrugations extending between the points of attachment of said membrane to said apical points of said truss system and a second series of corrugations extending at intersecting angles relative to laterally adjacent ones of said first corrugations and contained Within area bounded by adjacent ones of said first series of corrugations.

5. In a roof membrane sustained roof structure, a unitary rigid membrane capable of resisting both tension and compression forces in all directions in the plane in which said membrane lies constituting the roof surface and a co-extensive, underlying truss system connected to said membrane at spaced points throughout the area thereof; said membrane, by reason of said connection, additionally serving as the top chord component of said truss system; said truss system comprising a plurality of rigid members connected together to form a plurality of hexagons disposed in a plane generally parallel to and at a predetermined distance below the plane of said membrane; certain of said rigid members being permanently united to form at least one of said hexagons and having arm portions of not more than half the length of a side of the hexagon projecting from each corner in directions which are radial with respect to the center of the hexagon, and further having other rigid members extending convergingly upwardly and forming an apical portion connected to said roof membrane.

6. In a roof membrane sustained roof structure, a unitary rigid membrane capable of resisting both tension and compression forces in all directions in the plane in which said membrane lies constituting the roof surface and a co-extensive, underlying truss system connected to said membrane at spaced points throughout the area thereof; said membrane, by reason of said connection, additionally serving as the top chord component of said truss system; said truss system comprising a plurality of base components and a plurality of tripod components; each of said base components comprising a rigid, hexagonal ring disposed in a plane parallel to and below the plane of said roof membrane and having radially extending arms adapted to be rigidly connected to like arms carried by other base components with resultant formation of other identical hexagonal rings in said plane, a first series of said tripod components having the legs thereof supported by certain individual base components, and a second series of said tripod components having the legs thereof supported by a series of three interconnected ones of said base components; the apical ends of all of said tripod components being attached to said roof membrane in a uniform pattern.

7. In a roof membrane sustained roof structure, a unitary roof truss sustaining membrane constituting the entire roof surface; said membrane being capable of resisting both tension and compression forces in all directions in the plane in which it lies and serving, additionally, as the top chord component of a co-extensive, underlying truss system connected to said membrane at spaced points throughout the area thereof; said truss system comprising a plurality of rigid members connected together to form a plurality of polygons disposed in a plane generally parallel to and at a predetermined distance below the plane of said membrane, and each of said polygons having a plurality of rigid members similarly, convergingly rising from the perimeter thereof and terminating in apical points rigidly secured to said membrane.

8. In a roof structure, a unitary rigid membrane capable of resisting both tension and compression forces in the plane in which it lies and constituting both the roof surface and the top chord component of a co-extensive truss system underlying and connected to said membrane at spaced points throughout the area thereof; said truss system comprising pluralities or rigid members integrally united to form a first series of identical polygons each having a plurality of rigid members convergingly rising therefrom to form an apical point; said points being connected to said membrane and serving to position said polygons in a plane parallel to and below said membrane, means connecting said first series of polygons to each other with resultant formation of a second series of identical polygons disposed in the same plane as said first polygons, and other means forming apical points for said second series of said polygons attached to said membrane and positioning said second series of polygons in said plane of said first series of polygons.

9. A roof structure as claimed in claim 8,. including a rigid peripheral member to which the periphery of said membrane and those of said polygons disposed in vertical alignment with said periphery of said membrane are attached in their respective parallel planes.

10. A roof structure as claimed in claim 8 in which said membrane is provided with a first series of corrugationsextending between the-points of attachment of said niembraneto said apical points of said polygons and a second series of corrugations extending in directions intersecting the angles between laterally adjacent ones of said first series of corrugations and contained within areas defined by the junctures of adjacent ones of said first series of. corrugations.

11. A roof structure as claimed in claim 9 in which said membrane is provided with a first series of corrugations extending between the points of attachment of said membrane to said apical points of said polygons and a second series of corrugations extending in directions intersecting the angles between adjacent ones of said first series ofcorrugations and contained withinareas defined by the, adjacent ends of said first series of corrugations.

References Cited'in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,371,421 Blaski Mar. 13, 1945 2,406,863" Swann Sept. 3, 1946 2,433,677' Thomas Dec. 30, 1947 2,590,227 Bingham Mar. 25, 1952. 2,682,235 Fuller June 29, 1954' 2,709,975 Parker June 7, 1955 

1. IN A ROOF MEMBRANE SUSTAINED ROOF STRUCTURE, A UNITARY RIGID MEMBRANE CAPABLE OF RESISTING BOTH TENSION AND COMPRESSION FORCES IN ALL DIRECTIONS IN THE PLANE IN WHICH SAID MEMBRANE LIES CONSTITUTING THE ROOF SURFACE AND A CO-EXTENSIVE, UNDERLYING TRUSS SYSTEM CONNECTED TO SAID MEMBRANE AT SPACED POINTS THROUGHOUT THE AREA THEREOF; SAID MEMBRANE, BY REASON OF SAID CONNECTION, ADDITIONALLY SERVING AS THE TOP CHORD COMPONENT OF SAID TRUSS SYSTEM; SAID TRUSS SYSTEM COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF RIGID MEMBERS CONNECTED TOGETHER TO FORM A PLURALITY OF HEXAGONS DISPOSED IN A PLANE GENERALLY PARALLEL TO AND AT A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE BELOW THE PLANE OF SAID MEMBRANE AND EACH OF SAID HEXAGONS HAVING A SERIES OF THREE RIGID MEMBERS SIMILARLY, CONVERGINGLY RISING FROM ALTERNATE CORNERS THEREOF AND TERMINATING IN AN APICAL POINT ALL OF SAID APICAL POINTS BEING SECURED TO SAID MEMBRANE IN A UNIFORMLY SPACED PATTERN. 